How long should you wait to use masking tape?

Ok guys I did as you suggested and I did all that worrying for nothing.

You saved my bacon                                                                                                      Tony the Mutt

Philo,

I switched a few years ago to the blue type from 3M and it hasn't pulled a finish yet.

In addition to the burnishing you mentioned, I usually use a light coat of clear coat ( Testors DullCote for enamels, Tamiya Clear spray or something similar for acrylics ) to seal the edges of the masking. 

Hey Bill i'm into aggravation with modelling but not pain, at least not yet anyway.              

Philo,it will be three days tomorrow and I bet that 3M Blue is cheaper than Tamiya tape too.      Thanks for both your tips and i'll go get some of that 3M in the morning.

Tony the Mutt

Tony,

In addition to waiting, the hardest part according to Mr. Petty, I ALWAYS stick the tape to my inner forearm, where I have the least hair, and then rip it off and put it on the paint, that has never failed to stick and has never lifted a finish.

Bill   

Thanks guys, this is the first time to use tape and I knew it would dry on the surface                 pretty quickly but better safe than sorry.                                                                    

Tony the Mutt

Acrylics outgas at a much slower rate that enamels and lacquers do. They appear to be dry, however there is still a lot of "reaction" ongoing under the "skin" of the paint. Eight hours should be enough depending on humidity. Too low of a humidity and it can have adverse reactions as well.

Many a modeler has ruined a model during the home stretch...take your time, its worth it.

Hi Tony,

Tamiya paints can appear to dry very quickly (if airbrushing, sometimes within seconds) but they cure much more slowly. I would wait a minimum of 8 hours, preferably ovenight, before masking.

PS: I'm assuming you're talking about "flat" colours. Gloss colours are a whole different nightmare